Chapter 5 Permission Granted

The sky over the Vipers’ Pit was black. Huge drops of rain hammered against the windows.

Then, with a loud crack of thunder, the house went dark.

In my room, I gasped. I hated the dark.

I grabbed my phone and used the flashlight to find the door. My heart was thumping. I didn’t want to go to Leo. He would just tell me to grow up. But there was one other person on this floor.

I walked to the room at the end. I knocked softly.

The door opened almost instantly.

Jaxson Miller stood there wearing grey sweatpants and nothing else. The light from my phone hit his chest, showing the jagged scar near his ribs.

“Power’s out,” I whispered.

Jaxson leaned against the doorframe. “And?”

“I don’t like storms,” I admitted.

He looked at me for a long time. His eyes were soft.

He stepped back and opened the door wider. “Come in. Just until the lights come back on.”

His room smelled like sandalwood and expensive soap. I sat on the edge of his bed while he sat in the chair by the window. The lightning lit up the room every few seconds.

“Why don’t you like it?” he asked.

I shrugged. “It’s just too loud.”

Jaxson looked out at the rain. “My dad used to disappear during storms like this,” he said quietly. “He was a gambler. He’d say he was going to the store, and then he wouldn’t come back for three days. My mom and I would sit in the dark, waiting for the front door to open.”

“I’m sorry, Jaxson,” I said. I reached out and touched his hand. His skin was warm. He didn’t pull away. Instead, his fingers curled around mine.

Suddenly, heavy footsteps sounded in the hallway.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Jaxson let go of my hand like it was made of fire. I jumped up from the bed.

“Elena?” Leo’s voice boomed from outside the door. He knocked once and walked in before we could move. He was holding a heavy industrial flashlight.

The bright beam hit us both. I was standing too close to Jaxson’s bed. Jaxson was standing by the window, looking annoyed.

Leo shined the light directly in Jaxson’s face. “What is she doing in here, Miller?”

Jaxson didn’t blink. He crossed his arms over his bare chest. “She wandered in like a lost puppy, Cap. The girl is scared of a little thunder. I was just about to tell her to get out so I could sleep.”

Leo looked at me.

His face was full of suspicion before he sighed. “Go to your room, El. Use your phone light. Miller needs his rest. We have a 5 AM skate tomorrow.”

I scurried out of the room without looking back.

But I could feel Jaxson’s eyes on me until the door closed.

Two hours later, the power was still out. The house was freezing. I couldn’t sleep and I needed a drink of water.

I crept down to the kitchen. The rain had stopped. I didn’t turn on my phone light this time.

I reached for a glass on the counter. My hand brushed against someone else’s.

I almost screamed, but a large, warm hand clamped over my mouth.

“Shh,” a voice whispered in my ear. Jaxson.

He was standing right behind me. He slowly took his hand away from my mouth, but he didn’t move away. He turned me around in the dark until I was trapped between him and the marble counter.

“You’re following me now?” he teased.

“I needed water,” I breathed.

“Liar,” he whispered. He leaned down. “You came down here because you knew I’d be here.”

“I didn’t,” I said.

His hand came up to rest on the counter next to my head. His other hand touched my waist, his thumb sliding under the edge of my sleep shirt. He leaned in closer, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear.

“What am I going to do with you, Elena?”

I reached up, my hands hovering over his bare chest. We were seconds away from breaking every rule in the house.

Click.

A flashlight beam hit the wall near us.

“Miller? You still prowling around?”

It was Leo.

Jaxson reacted instantly. He grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the counter, spinning me around so I was facing the fridge. He stepped back and made a loud, frustrated noise.

“Man, Leo! Do you ever sleep?” Jaxson shouted.

Leo walked into the kitchen, his flashlight bouncing off the appliances. He saw us.

“I heard noises,” Leo said. “What is going on now?”

Jaxson pointed a finger at me. “Your sister is what’s going on. She’s down here clinking glasses. I thought it was a burglar.”

Leo looked at me.

"I was thirsty, Leo! Leave me alone.” I scoffed.

“It’s late, El,” Leo said. He looked at Jaxson. “Sorry, Miller. I know you’re on edge with the scouts coming next week.”

“Whatever,” Jaxson grunted. He picked up a water bottle and started walking toward the stairs. “Just keep her under control, Cap. I can’t play a championship game if I’m up all night babysitting your family.”

Leo watched Jaxson walk away. He seemed to buy the act. He turned to me, his face softening.

"He's right, El. You need to be careful. The guys are stressed. They don't have time for distractions."

"I'm not a distraction," I snapped, feeling a sting of guilt.

"I know, I know," Leo said. He walked me to the stairs. Before I went up, he looked over his shoulder toward Jaxson's room. Then he looked back at me.

"Wait," Leo said.

I froze on the first step. "What?"

Leo turned his flashlight toward the hallway where Jaxson had just disappeared. He looked back at me. “Miller is a good player, El. But he’s got a temper. And he’s a rookie.”

“So?” I asked.

“Miller!” he called out.

Jaxson’s door opened. “Yeah?”

“I’m going to be at the rink early tomorrow. I need you to stay here until Elena leaves. Don’t let her walk to the bus stop alone.”

Jaxson leaned against his doorframe. He looked at me, then at Leo.

“You want me to watch her?” Jaxson asked.

“Yes,” Leo said firmly. “Keep an eye on her. Don’t let her out of your sight until she’s safe.”

Jaxson’s gaze locked onto mine.

“Don’t worry, Leo,” Jaxson said. “I’ll keep a very close eye on her. I promise.”

Leo nodded and walked to his room, leaving us alone in the dark hallway.

Jaxson didn’t move. He just stared at me.

He had just been given permission by my brother to follow me everywhere.